Anemone patens L. var. multifida Pritz. (Pasque flower or Prairie crocus; Ranunculaceae Family), one of the very first flowering plants of the prairie (March to April). The flowers are saucer-shaped by design, allowing this early flowering plant to reflect heat toward the center of the flower. This helps allow Pasque flower to get an early jump on Spring. In fact, the naturenorth.com website states "on a sunny day the temperature inside a crocus flower can be as much as 10 C (18 F) warmer than the temperature of the surrounding air. Flowers are large and showy and pollination is accomplished by early flying bees and flies. They are also capable of self-pollination. Stigmas start out white, then yellow before finally turning pink upon completion (see photo).
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| Anemone patens (Pasque flower or Prairie crocus). |
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| Anemone patens (Pasque flower or prairie crocus) spent flower with the stigmas turned pink |
In Illinois, Pasque flowers are found in gravel prairies and only in the very far northern tier counties. Although not on the Illinois Threatened and Endangered species list these plants are considered rare overall. Plants are long-lived, possibly 50 years or more. Many populations in Illinois appear to be shrinking or at least have smaller clusters of flowering plants compared to sites in the northern part of its range
References:
Beaubien, E.G. and D.L. Johnson. 1994. Flowering plant phenology and weather in Alberta, Canada. International Journal of Biometeorology 38:23-27.
Bock, J.H. and S.J. Peterson. 1975. Reproductive biology of Pulsatilla patens (Ranunculaceae). The American Midland Naturalist 94(2):476-478.
Kalliovirta, M., T. Ryttari, and R.K. Heikkinen. 2006. Population structure of a threatened plant, Pulsatilla patens, in boreal forests: modelling relationships to overgrowth and site closure. Biodiversity and Conservation 15:3095-3108.
Kricsfalusy, V. 2016. Variations in the life cycle of Anemone patens L. (Ranunculaceae) in wild populations of Canada. Plants 5(3):29.
Naturenorth.com website, http://www.naturenorth.com/spring/flora/crocus/Prairie_Crocus2.html, accessed April 11, 2017.
